Pivotal Care for Patients in Sierra Leone

Pivotal Care for Patients in Sierra Leone

We concluded our crowdfunding campaign on May 31, 2018 raising $11,193 to provide patients living in extreme poverty with the care and support they need to get through difficult treatments and regain their health. Thank you for your support!

There are far more patients in urgent need than our Sierra Leone colleagues can support with existing resources.

This May, we need to raise $10,000 to provide immediate support to poor and vulnerable patients in Sierra Leone. We have the chance to change the lives of 300 of our patients in urgent need of financial assistance.
You can help us get there.

In communities of extreme poverty, sickness and injury can cause major financial shock. Even when treatment is free at PIH-supported clinics, the costs of food, water, shelter and other supports can be debilitating and have devastating impacts on a patient’s ability to earn and income and support their family. Deepening poverty reduces the chance that people will be able to access the care they need and successfully complete treatment. Recognizing that illness is directly linked to the social contexts in which our patients live, PIH is committed to addressing both clinical and socio-economic needs.

Our plan to help

The Acute Needs Program (ANP) in Sierra Leone provides financial support to vulnerable patients in order to improve clinical and socio-economic outcomes. Aid is given for a maximum duration of three months to patients who meet the criteria in our vulnerability assessment and are approved for support by a panel of community members and PIH staff. For patients with chronic illnesses or who have recurrent health or social challenges such as homelessness or no other social members, additional support may be offered.

Why Sierra Leone?

In 2014-2015, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea suffered the worst Ebola Virus outbreak in history. Sierra Leone’s already fragile health system was decimated by losses of staff and a loss of confidence from the community in health services and outcomes. While the Ebola crisis is now over, poverty and restricted access to care are still hampering outcomes for the most vulnerable patients in the country. This includes the poorest patients and those with chronic conditions like HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.